Here are the 2023 Iowa high school boys’ soccer substate brackets

There are four classifications in Iowa high school boys’ soccer for the first time this season, meaning an additional eight state tournament qualifiers for a total of 32. Tuesday, the substate brackets to determine those 32 qualifiers were released by the Iowa High School Athletic Association.

How the Iowa high school boys’ soccer substate brackets work

The top one or two seeds in each substate were determined by the latest Iowa High School Soccer Coaches Association rankings, released Sunday. Those rankings are compiled via Bound’s Elo rating system.

The rest of the seeds are ordered via an IHSAA points system average. Teams receive four points for a win over a Class 4A school, three for beating a 3A opponent, etc., and then have their total points divided by their number of games played.

Iowa high school boys’ soccer postseason schedule

Postseason play kicks off Monday, May 15 with substate quarterfinal games in Class 1A and 2A. The Class 3A and 4A substate quarterfinals are the following day. Substate semifinals are Monday, May 22 in all four classes and the finals are Wednesday, May 24.

Substate winners advance to the state tournament at Cownie Soccer Park in Des Moines, which begins Tuesday, May 30.

Class 4A Iowa high school boys’ soccer substate brackets

A state semifinal rematch in the substate finals? It’s possible in Class 4A Substate 4, with fifth-ranked Cedar Rapids Prairie (12-2) awarded the top seed. Two-time defending big-school class state champion Pleasant Valley (11-2), ranked No. 13, is the second seed. The Spartans beat the Hawks 3-0 on their way to last season’s 3A state title.

Prairie will first have to beat the Cedar Rapids Jefferson (3-9)-Dubuque Hempstead (6-7) winner, while PV takes on Muscatine (10-4).

Ranked No. 1 earlier this season, No. 7 Cedar Rapids Kennedy (9-1) is the top seed in 4A-6. Its only loss is to Iowa City High (5-6), which showed its potential with an overtime win over the Cougars. No. 12-ranked Linn-Mar (10-5) is the second seed and will meet City High in the semifinals. Kennedy will face Davenport Central (3-10) or Clinton (3-8) first.

Sixth-ranked Iowa City West (11-2) got the No. 1-seed in 4A-5 and will meet the winner of Davenport West (2-10) and Davenport North (8-7) in the substate semifinals. Eleventh-ranked Bettendorf (11-3) and Dubuque Senior (9-4) are on the other side of the bracket.

The state’s top-ranked team, West Des Moines Valley (12-2) is the favorite in Substate 1, with No. 16 Sioux City North (9-4) the second seed.

Other top seeds are Waukee Northwest (12-2), Ames (10-4), West Des Moines Dowling (10-2) and Johnston (12-3).

Here are all eight Class 4A substate brackets.

Class 3A Iowa high school boys’ soccer substate brackets

Unbeaten and yet to be scored on, third-ranked Marion (14-0) is the top seed in Class 3A Substate 3. North Scott (5-7) is its likely substate final opponent.

Iowa City Liberty (5-7) has a losing record, but the eighth-ranked Lightning are the top seed in 3A-4. Fairfield (5-7) or Clear Creek Amana (4-8) will be Liberty’s first opponent and No. 15 Fort Madison (14-2) and Burlington (10-5) are on the other side. All seven of Liberty’s losses came against Class 4A opposition and six of those teams are ranked.

No. 14 Cedar Rapids Washington (6-7) drew the second seed in 3A-5 and a semifinal matchup against No. 12 Pella (7-5). Second-ranked Des Moines Hoover (12-1) is the top seed.

Council Bluffs Lewis Central (11-5), last year’s 2A state champion, is ranked 13th and drew the second seed in a bracket featuring top-ranked Dallas Center-Grimes (10-3).

Other top seeds in 3A are Spencer (11-1), Humboldt (11-1), Urbandale (5-8) and Adel ADM (11-2).

Here are all eight Class 3A substate brackets.

Class 2A Iowa high school boys’ soccer substate brackets

Decorah (11-2) was a win away from its first state tournament since 2010 last spring. Remaining in Class 2A this season, the Vikings are seeded first in Substate 3. A battle-tested Dubuque Wahlert side that is ranked 16th with a 2-10 record could be Decorah’s semifinal opponent.

No. 14 Center Point-Urbana (8-3) is the 2-seed in that substate, with rivals Independence (5-8) and West Delaware (0-11) set to meet in a quarterfinal.

Williamsburg (10-3), ranked 11th, got the 2-seed in Substate 4 but drew second-ranked Gilbert (14-2) as the substate’s top seed. The Raiders face Benton Community (5-8) or Anamosa (2-10) first.

Last year’s Class 1A state champion, Davenport Assumption (12-1) is ranked first in Class 2A this week and is the top seed in 2A-5. Solon (4-7) is the third seed there with a quarterfinal matchup against Keokuk (2-10) and a possible semifinal game against No. 15 DeWitt Central (7-6).

Other top seeds in 2A are Sioux City Heelan (10-2), Webster City (10-1), Nevada (11-4), Greene County (10-3) and Perry (9-6).

Here are all eight Class 2A substate brackets.

Class 1A Iowa high school boys’ soccer substate brackets

River Valley Conference rivals Iowa City Regina (14-4) and West Liberty (12-2) both earned No. 1 substate seeds in Class 1A.

The fifth-ranked Comets’ path to a fifth straight state tournament appearance runs through a Southeast Iowa Super Conference-heavy substate. Mediapolis (9-2) is the second seed.

Second-ranked Regina could face new RVC foe Dyersville Beckman (9-5), ranked 16th, in the 1A-4 final. The Trailblazers likely first have to beat Clinton Prince of Peace (10-6), which won their regular-season meeting in OT.

No. 14 West Branch (11-2) is the second seed in 1A-6. The top seed is ninth-ranked Pella Christian (5-7).

Top-ranked Grundy Center/Gladbrook-Reinbeck (14-0) is seeded first in 1A-2. That substate features North Fayette Valley (7-6), coming off back-to-back state tournament berths, as the third seed and 11th-ranked Denver (7-5) seeded second.

The other No. 1 seeds in 1A are Western Christian (9-1), Waterloo Columbus (7-6), Des Moines Christian (8-4) and Treynor (9-5).

Here are all eight Class 1A substate brackets.

Comments: nathan.ford@thegazette.com